The former government union lobbyist drew herself into the vacant district
Oregon Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) is rumored to be considering a run for the newly-created Oregon Sixth Congressional District. During the recently completed redistricting process, Oregon's population gains earned it a sixth congressional district. The district comprises Yamhill and Polk Counties, the western part of Marion County, including Salem and the I-5 corridor and reaches up into the Southwest Portland area in order to -- in the words of many insiders, ensure Democratic dominance.
Raising more than a few eyebrows is the fact that Salinas was the Chair of the hastily-formed
House Special Committee On Congressional Redistricting which drew the lines for the new district which is not only vacant -- it's the only Congressional district in Oregon that does not have an incumbent member of Congress residing in it -- but it includes Salinas' own residence -- a happy coincidence, if she intends to run.
This committee, as well as the
House Special Committee On State Legislative Redistricting, which Salinas also chaired were both the product of the deal-breaking move by House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) in which she reneged on a deal to share power with Republicans on these committees. Kotek is running for Governor, and insiders have noted that this kind of corruption does not put her in a good light as she runs for the first time for statewide office.
Prior to serving in the legislature, Salinas worked as a lobbyist for the government employee union SEIU Local 503 where she says that she worked to "help provide Oregon families with a fair shot by increasing the minimum wage, fighting climate change, and providing comprehensive reproductive health care coverage to all Oregon women." She has a BA in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Salinas has
about $40,000 in her campaign account from her legislative runs, but campaign finance laws may restrict her use of that money for her Congressional run.
--Staff Reports| Post Date: 2021-10-07 10:26:49 | Last Update: 2021-10-07 11:02:37 |
